This is the only sky blue I like:

http://www.jdawiseman.com/papers/games/jsw2/sky_blue_pink.png

Jet set Willy??

showing your age Jalisco. Manic miner was better

city are still the talking point and the lifeblood of the premier league
....

Dafuq?

Has anyone else noticed City fans like using 'broke the transfer record' but they don't like giving any actual figures?

Seems strange like there is some kind of reason for it that is all.

What they did not realize is that the big jump of TV revenue is driven mainly be the dramatic end to last season.
======================================
No it wasn't, and isn't.
The massive revenue is driven by the popularity of teams like United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
Foreign TV companies spend fortunes for the opportunity to access games involving these clubs, not clubs like man city.
If city were to get relegated in a couple of years, it would have no impact whatsoever as regard the value of TV rights for premier league football.

"The massive revenue is driven by the popularity of teams like United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
Foreign TV companies spend fortunes for the opportunity to access games involving these clubs, not clubs like man city."

I get your point, but in a lot if the developing markets where they have managed to get increases, it tends to be players rather than clubs that they watch. City were the most watched team in China for example when we had Sun Jihai!

The Middle East tv rights have gone up a lot as well, there is definitely an influence there.

You are right that those four have the largest fanbase, it is wrong to suggest that just their popularity has driven the tv increases though, there are other factors as well.

On a side point, if you have a look at the money involved, it really is obscene! Who wants to bet the money ends up with the owners rather than filtering through to the fans...

The premier league is the best marketed league despite it not being the best. It's a financial juggernaut of sponsorship and TV money.

I think it being an 'English language' covered league from media and interviews perspective plays a big part.

TheKaisersTrainers

Very true, but the league aint fair

You are right that those four have the largest fanbase, it is wrong to suggest that just their popularity has driven the tv increases though, there are other factors as well.

They have the largest fanbases because of TV and the way the Sky 4 have been marketed overseas during the last 20 years.

no football leagues are fair. It was rigged to create the 'Sky 4' and ensure consistent top teams. The billionaires finally created some real competition but that didn't sit right with the powers that be so 'anti-billionaire' rules were created to try and get back to the more manageable and saleable Sky 4.

We're more fair than Spain at least.

The only sport leagues that have some form of fairness built in are the American ones. But the are structured so differently I'm not sure that it could be emulated here.

"The only sport leagues that have some form of fairness built in are the American ones. But the are structured so differently I'm not sure that it could be emulated here."

I don't think it can, due to movement of players between leagues. American sports tend to only have their league and that's it.

If people think United...Liverpool have large fans numbers because of sky they are nuts. Look at the support the both had pre sky!

It wasn't global like it is today.

Fellaini

Spot on mate, sky didn't invent football as some people seem to think.

How did Liverpool and United have globalssupport pre PL ???

"It wasn't global like it is today."

exactly

Fellaini is right too though.

It's the combination of the two that makes the difference.

Big club + global media = exponential money growth

Even with Liverpool having former owners almost willfully trying to destroy the club, we're still dragging in mega sponsorship deals and kicking about on the fringes in the Europa.

If we were Leeds or Newcastle with HIcks and Gillett as owners it would have been goodnight Vienna.

United's overseas support was limited to Ireland and Malta pre 1992.

The core strength of Manchester United's global brand is often attributed to Matt Busby's rebuilding of the team and subsequent success following the Munich air disaster, which drew worldwide acclaim

Really...

Well they should thank the PL. Being European pioneers for the English game did nothing for them.

It's the global race to win the most plastics.

Plastics bring in the big sponsorship money.

We didn't get Standard Charter and Warrior because we beat out Everton 51/49 in Runcorn. It's because of Asia, North America.

Chevy aren't hoping to clean up in Salford.

It's global marketing reach linked to consistent 'winners'. And the more consistent the winners, the better the marketing will be and the larger the money.

No one wants fairness, it's just not profitable enough globally.

mancinicity threw his toys all over this article

PL - The One team league!

----------------------------

Upset that it's not your team after blowing half a billion?

Shotgun the lego

if it was only because of sky, why would Liverpool who have not won a single league title since the start of the premier league have more global fans than arsenal or chelsea ? United had fans in the far east over 30 years ago which is one of the reasons that Sharp sponsored them all of those years. United were also huge in Greece in the 1980s.